Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-02-24
ooNsTTTUTIoMAL REFORM.
william Dean Caves the General
Assembly a Piece OF His Mind.

Editor Gazette: The greatest piece Of tom
foolery that / have heard tell OF or read
about ts that @ Democratic Legislature
of the State of Delaware In the year 1887
should spend their time and the Taxpayers
money to find out II the people Of Della
ware really do want a constitutional con-
vention called. Mr.. NAPLES seemed to
grasp the question when he said $4,000
voters wanted it. Did not this same Demo-
cratic party which this Legislature repre-.
sents four years ago start out on the prin-
ciple of increased representation and reform
of our Judiciary systemp Did not the
Democratic party OF New Castle county
adopt that as plank in their PLATFORM
Did not Mr.. Bates and other Democratic
orators announce from the stump that that
was what the people not only wanted but
demanded2 Did not the Democratic State
convention that year endorse the same2
Did not the Legislature elected at that cleo
ton pass amendments to the constitution
We're not these amendments advertised
under authority OF the governor and secre-
tafy OF state at large expense to the State
treasury Did not the party go into
the political campaign of 1884 under the
same bannerp Did not the Democratic
State convention of that year re-endorse
the subject? We're not the Legislators
elected In that year pledged to vote for the
amendments passed by the previous Legls-
lature2 Did not one member of that body
say II you do not make me speaker of the
House Of Representatives that he would
defeat the amendments Did be not do 1t ?
And yet, after all this sad experience, we
find another Democratic Legislature of
small calibre discussing the question-Do
the people want any amendments to the
constitution or do they want constitutional
convention called
1 have been advocating amendments and
increased representation for New Castle
county In the Democratic party for the last
IL
no prospect that either my children, grand
children, or even the third generation after
myself, will ever enjoy the blessings of an
amendment that will do justice to the peo-
pie OF New Castle county. Wouldthe Repub-
lican party IL elected do any betterP Gould
they do worse2 Did not, on the Saturday
before the last general election, the man
who bought votes to elect delegates to the
State Democratic convention, while deliver
ing public address in Bridgeville, say:
what do these reforms want? Is not the
Democratic party ready and willing to grant
all the reforms they ask for2' Yet on the
same day did not listen to my old granger
friend, the Hon. f.. L. Martin at Laurel,
saying; I'VE do not want any constitutional
convention. The present constitution was
made by our fathers half century ago; 1t
was good enough for them and it Is good
enough for us and we nre determined lot
to give up our whisky. "our then secretary
Of state followed in the same tine; although
this gentlemen while at Dover, before the
defeat Of the then pending amendment ap-
peared as one OF their greatest advocates.
read In your paper the remarks Of one
OF our small-potato Legislators, In which he
doubted whether the present generation
Were equal TO amending tho State Constitu-
| tlon. In reply TO such tcmfoolery l would
ask are the present generation of American
| people cap BILE OF selfgovernment? I am
| not legislator and make no great claim of
Il, hoe
swer the above in the affirmative. What
| the people of New Castle county must do, ii
| they ever expect to get Justice done them,
is to demand their whole rights and take
nothing less.
About II decades lack weak little
| colony Of brave people iu our country de-
manded of a powerful king their rish's;
| agreed to stand together, which th-y ,lii,
and conferred on their successors The ishls
| which the people of New Castle enuntJ are
now asking for; and the people OF X ntand
Sussex are either too dumb to know that
| what they are Withholding from us Is ours
or else they hold 1t by the same title thar
the gentleman tramp goes into the dining
saloon Of large hotel and has shocking
bad hat which he puts on a shelf. He Is
| soon through with his dinner, comes out,
| does not look for his hat but selects the best
one ne can find that fits him aud goes
out side door, eongratulating him
self he has made good thing
| of It, got dinner free OF cost
and superb hat. Now, the people
who refuse New Castle county her rights,
| do 1t on this same principle. l have con-
| eluded they do not know any better, so we
| shall have to suffer until we get them edu-
| Gated up to n point wherein they will be
able to know what is theirs and what be-
longs to other people. From the many
| efforts made toward constitutional reform
| by our legislature should feel encouraged,
| but when think of tha tpnoranoa of tboeo
people who hold our rights In their power,
| my heart fails me of ever expecting Justice
being done during my lifetime.
| WILLIAM DEAN